[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 68 (Friday, April 8, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19781-19783]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-8418]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R1-R-2010-N222; 10137-1265-0000 S3]
Protection Island and San Juan Islands National Wildlife Refuges,
Jefferson, San Juan, Skagit, Island, and Whatcom Counties, WA; Final
Comprehensive Conservation Plan, Wilderness Stewardship Plan, and
Finding of No Significant Impact for Environmental Assessment
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the
availability of our final comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and
finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for the environmental
assessment (EA) for Protection Island and San Juan Islands National
Wildlife Refuges (NWRs). In this final CCP, we describe how we will
manage these refuges for the next 15 years.
ADDRESSES: You may view or obtain copies of the final CCP and FONSI/EA
by any of the following methods. You may request a CD-ROM or an
electronic copy.
Agency Web Site: Download a copy of the documents at http://pacific.fws.gov/planning.
E-mail: [email protected]. Include ``Protection Island and San
Juan Islands NWRs final CCP'' in the subject line of the message.
Mail: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington Maritime NWRC, 715
Holgerson Road, Sequim, WA 98382.
In-Person Viewing or Pickup: Call 360-457-8451 to make an
appointment during regular business hours at 715 Holgerson Road,
Sequim, WA.
Local Library or Libraries: The documents are also available for
review at the libraries listed under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kevin Ryan, Project Leader, 360-457-
8451, [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
With this notice, we finalize the CCP process for Protection Island
and San Juan Islands NWRs. We started this process through a notice in
the Federal Register (72 FR 45444; August 14, 2007). We released the
draft CCP and the EA to the public, announcing and requesting comments
in a notice of availability in the Federal Register (75 FR 51098;
August 18, 2010).
Protection Island NWR is located in the Strait of Juan de Fuca near
the entrance to Discovery Bay in Jefferson County, Washington. It
includes 659 acres of land and tideland. Protection Island NWR was
established to provide habitat for a diversity of birds, with
particular emphasis on nesting bald eagles and seabirds, as well as to
protect the hauling-out area for marine mammals. It has one of the
largest colonies of rhinoceros auklets in North America. The Refuge
also provides opportunities for scientific research and wildlife-
oriented education and interpretation.
Most of the San Juan Islands NWR consists of rocks, reefs, and
islands scattered throughout the San Juan Archipelago. Two islands,
Smith and Minor, are located south of the archipelago within the Strait
of Juan de Fuca. The Refuge consists of approximately 449 acres in San
Juan, Skagit, Island, and Whatcom Counties, Washington. Most (353
acres) of San Juan Islands NWR is designated wilderness known as the
San Juan Islands Wilderness Area. San Juan Islands NWR was established
to facilitate management of migratory birds, including serving as a
breeding ground and winter sanctuary for native birds. It was also
intended to be a refuge for other wildlife. This refuge is particularly
important to breeding black oystercatchers, cormorants, and harbor
seals.
We announce our decision and the availability of the FONSI for the
final CCP for Protection Island and San Juan Islands NWRs in accordance
with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (40 CFR 1506.6(b))
requirements. We completed a thorough analysis of impacts on the human
environment, which we included in the EA that accompanied the draft
CCP.
The CCP will guide us in managing and administering Protection
Island and San Juan Islands Refuges for the next 15 years. Alternative
B, as we described in the final CCP, is the foundation for the CCP,
with slight modifications.
Background
The National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 (16
U.S.C. 668dd-668ee) (Refuge Administration Act), as amended by the
National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, requires us to
develop a CCP for each refuge. The purpose for developing a CCP is to
provide refuge managers with a 15-year plan for achieving refuge
purposes and contributing toward the mission of the National Wildlife
Refuge System, consistent with sound principles of fish and wildlife
management, conservation, legal mandates, and our policies. We will
review and update the CCP at least every 15 years in accordance with
the Refuge Administration Act.
CCP Alternatives, Including Selected Alternative
Our draft CCP and our EA (75 FR 51098) addressed several issues. To
address these, we developed and evaluated the following alternatives:
Alternative A: Current Management
Under Alternative A, the refuges would continue with current
management, which focuses on stewardship, including removing
unnecessary roads and human structures; allowing natural processes to
occur with minimal human intervention; monitoring wildlife species; and
working with partners to reduce the risk of oil spills, clean up marine
debris, and educate boaters to minimize human-caused wildlife
disturbance. Recreational activities would continue as they have in the
past and be facilitated through a State Parks partnership.
Alternative B: Preferred Alternative
This Alternative would continue many of the activities in
Alternative A, but would also include a greater number of active
habitat management projects, such as removal of deer from Protection
Island to enhance seabird nesting
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habitat and forest habitat; carrying out of restoration projects on the
spits, grasslands, and forests to increase native plant diversity; and
facilitation of research studies that answer refuge management
questions. Public use changes include enforcing no-pets regulations on
all San Juan Islands Refuge lands, and closing some areas on Turn
Island, including all of the rocky shoreline to the east and the
southeast ``pocket'' beach, as well as some of the Island's interior.
Overnight camping on Turn and Matia Islands would be limited to
visitors arriving by human-powered craft, and a camping reservation
system would be initiated. There would be more emphasis on enhancing
the public's understanding and appreciation of the refuges' natural,
cultural, and wilderness resources through both on- and off-refuge
interpretation and education programs. There would be fewer large signs
but more medium-sized signs installed on San Juan Islands Refuge units
to discourage close approach or trespassing on closed islands.
Regulatory signs on both refuges would be updated with improved wording
and sizing to enhance their effectiveness. There would also be more
emphasis on working with existing partners and developing new
partnerships to accomplish objectives.
Alternative C
This Alternative is very similar to Alternative B. However, under
Alternative C there would be fewer acres of native habitat restoration,
as well as fewer research studies and surveys. Camping would continue,
but with fewer campsites on Matia Island. Turn Island would be limited
to day-use only. Compared to Alternative B, fewer and mostly smaller
signs would be used in Alternative C to identify closed refuge islands
and reduce human-caused wildlife disturbance.
Comments
We requested comments on the draft CCP and the EA for Protection
Island and San Juan Islands NWRs from August 13, 2010, to September 17,
2010 (75 FR 51098). We sent notification to over 700 individuals and
organizations on our mailing list for this CCP, provided the draft CCP
and EA on the Regional Web site, and provided a press release to local
media. We received over 40 letters and e-mails from the public. Based
on a thorough evaluation of the public comments we received, we
slightly modified the CCP/EA. Changes include modifications to several
CCP strategies, including:
We will begin coordination with Treaty Tribes regarding
step-down planning for deer removal on Protection Island;
We will perform additional monitoring of visitors' use
before deciding whether to initiate a new camping reservation system;
We added several potential partners to Appendix G; and
We updated Appendix E, the Integrated Pest Management
Program, with information from a new Service policy (569 FW 1).
Selected Alternative
After considering the comments we received, we have selected
Alternative B for implementation. Under Alternative B, the Service and
partners will:
Protect, maintain, and where feasible, restore habitats--
including shoreline, sandy bluffs, grasslands and balds, forests and
woodlands, and wetlands--for priority species, including seabirds,
shorebirds, bald eagles, marine mammals, and endemic plants.
Minimize human-caused wildlife disturbance on and near
closed refuge islands, rocks, and shorelines.
Manage invasive species and State- and county-listed
noxious weeds.
Survey and protect paleontological and cultural resources.
Increase inventory and monitoring efforts.
Encourage and facilitate research that addresses refuge
management questions.
Design and implement a site plan for refuge administration
and research facilities on Protection Island in order to reduce the
human ``footprint,'' improve refuge management capability, improve
research coordination, and reduce liquid fuel consumption by expanding
solar power capabilities.
Reduce the number of campsites on Turn Island and limit
camping on both Turn and Matia Islands to visitors arriving by human-
powered boats.
Enhance and increase on- and off-refuge environmental
education and interpretation, as well as wildlife observation and
photography opportunities.
Increase outreach to boaters, schoolchildren, local
residents, and tourists.
Use signs and other management techniques efficiently and
effectively on wilderness rocks and islands to assist in maintaining
their wildlife and intrinsic values while minimizing impacts to
wilderness character.
Public Availability of Documents
In addition to the methods in ADDRESSES, you can view documents at
the following libraries:
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Library Address Phone No.
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Anacortes Public Library......... 1220 10th Street, 360-293-1910
Anacortes, WA
98221.
Bellingham Public Library........ 210 Central Avenue 360-778-7323
CS-9710,
Bellingham, WA
98227.
Clinton Public Library........... 4781 Deer Lake 360-341-4280
Road, Clinton, WA
98236.
Coupeville Public Library........ 788 NW. Alexander, 360-678-4911
Coupeville, WA
98239.
Evergreen State College Library.. 2700 Evergreen 360-867-6250
Parkway NW.,
Olympia, WA 98505.
Island Public Library............ 2144 S. Nugent 360-758-7145
Road, Lummi
Island, WA 98262.
Jefferson County Central Library. P.O. Box 990, Port 360-385-6544
Hadlock, WA 98339.
Lopez Island Public Library...... 2225 Fisherman Bay 360-468-2265
Rd., Lopez Island,
WA 98261.
North Olympic Public Library..... 630 N. Sequim Ave., 360-683-1161
Sequim, WA 98382.
Oak Harbor Public Library........ 1000 SE. Regatta 360-675-5115
Dr., Oak Harbor,
WA 98377.
Orcas Island Public Library...... 500 Rose St., 360-376-4985
Eastsound, WA
98245.
Peninsula College Library........ 1502 E. Lauridsen 360-417-6280
Blvd., Port
Angeles, WA 98362.
San Juan Islands Library......... 1010 Guard St., 360-378-2798
Friday Harbor, WA
98250.
Shaw Island Library.............. P.O. Box 844, Shaw N/A
Island, WA 98286.
University of Puget Sound Library 1500 N. Warner St. 253-879-3669
Campus, Mail Box
1021 Tacoma, WA
98416.
University of Washington Library. Box 3529000, 206-543-0242
Seattle, WA 98195.
Waldron Island Library........... Waldron Island, WA. 360-588-3383
Washington State Library......... P.O. Box 424, 360-704-5250
Olympia, WA 98504.
Washington State University Owen Science 509-335-6691
Library. Library,
Washington State
University,
Pullman, WA 99164.
Western Washington University.... 516 High St., 360-650-3050
Bellingham, WA
98225.
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Dated: December 21, 2010.
Richard R. Hannan,
Acting Regional Director, Portland, Oregon.
[FR Doc. 2011-8418 Filed 4-7-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P